A/N So I felt bad about all this Jesse shit, and decided to give you some good ole' puckleberry lovin. That's it I guess, short authors note. :) Here it is

Never.

Not in Noah Puckerman's whole entire life, had he Ever, thought he would be doing this.

Noah was standing in Rachel Berrys kitchen...In an apron...Making cupcakes. There, strewn across the Berry family kitchen counter, were cupcakes, Vanilla cupcakes, Chocolate cupcakes, even red velvet. He stuffed another one in his mouth whole, and realized he had probably eaten more than he had made.

Then he sighed, and he wondered for the tenth time when Rachel was gonna come down from her room.

*Flashback*

"Rachel, I think that you read the directions wrong."

She huffed impatiently.

"How so Noah?"

His lips twitched at her use of his real name, it was downright adorable...even if she was using that snippy tone with him just for correcting her. But he had too, he couldn't let her waste a whole other batch of cupcake batter after accidentally putting oil instead of water in the first.

"I'm pretty sure that it said to use 3 cups of flour...not, umm, sugar."

His voice was nervous, considering just how loathe he was to ever correct her when she was sure she was right. Now was no exception

Rachel rolled her eyes and turned back to the book with a look of sure Berry pattented confidence. All of the smuggness was wiped from her face, however, when she realized he was right. She stomped her foot, causing her skirt to flare up it a definitively eye catching manner, and Puck struggled to keep his eyes on her face.

"Darn it all! Baking has to be one of the most overrated "art forms" anyone has ever endevored to learn!"

She might be playing at overconfidant anger, but her eyes and posture belied her frustration, she really wasn't used to not being perfect was she?

Puck on the other hand, was rather confident of his culinary abilities, considering that he had had years of practice cooking traditional jewish food for his family when his mom wasn't feeling well, which was often.

Another glance down at the martha stewart recepie caused Puck to wince and shift uncomfortably, trying to keep his mouth shut, but not knowing if he should.

She caught his unusual posture however, and her impatient irritation only grew more incensed

"What Noah? What is it this time?"

Her tone alone should've been a warning that shit was about to hit the fan. Unfortunately, Puck wasn't exactly schooled in the subtlety of female emotions, and forged on ahead, albiet unsurely.

"Umm, the recepie kinda called for 2 teaspoons of salt...not...tablespoons."

Then they both looked down at the instruments which RAchel had just used to ladel salt into the misture quite generously, and both of them noted that they were the definitely larger Tablespoons, to which Puck was referring.

There was a tense pause, and just when Puck opened his mouth to suggest they just scrap this batch and start another, Rachel let out something akin to a growl, only much sexier and girlier. Then, quite unexpected and very uncharastic of Rachel, her hands slammed down on the counter, and inadvertantly caught the edge of the batter bowl with her hand, laeving Rachel with a batch of dark chocolate cupcake...sludge, covering her once slightly less than pristine apron and her usual sweater/skirt combination.

There was complete and utter silence in the room, before the first tear spilled down her chocolate flavored cheeks, and she spun around and flew up the stairs towards her room. Puck followed her, but she was one fast little jew, and she had already slammed/locked her door before he could wedge himself in.

Puck pounded on the door.

"Rachel! Rachel it's no big deal."

Silence, broken only by poorly concealed sobs.

"Rach- It's ok! We can make another batch!"

Still silence. Puck slumped against the door. Sliding down towards the white carpet, now slightly marred by chocolate splatter. Then, she spoke.

"Go back downstairs Noah."

Her voice was horse and slightly raspy.

"I- I just have to clean up some. Go start the new batch."

Her voice broke at the end, and Puck's stomach clenched painfully. The effect that tiny ball of drama has on him is unreal. No one else in his words, saving his mother and baby sister, hold any sort of sway over him like Rachel Berry.

His voice was quiet, more subdued than was usual for him.

"Ok babe. Just be quick."

She mumbled something akin to 'un huh', and Puck started his way back down the stairs with a weary sigh.

*end flashback*

Puck looked down at the bowl of freshly (and correctly) made chocolate batter, and back up towards the stairs. He could still hear the sound of the shower running, and knew that she'd be at least 10 more minutes. Despite the acute uncomfort this thought caused him below the waist, he was grateful for the chance he'd been afforded to follow through on his super-secret-epic-cupcake-making-plan

He leaned over and grabbed his backpack up off the floor, unzipping the side pocket in the process, and takes out some of the weed he bought off that gay sweater wearing dude who used to work at Mckinley.

After one more quick glance up the stairs, and the assurance that the coast is clear, he dumps the stuff in the brownies and stirrs it in thouroughly.

After scooping all the batter into their individual cups, and sliding them into the oven, he heard soft, padding, footsteps comming down the stairs. He turns with a grin on his face to greet Rachel, and has to take a full 10 seconds to reconcile what he's seeing, with the girl he knew...or thought he knew.

Rachel Berry was wearing a pair of sweat pants and an oversized lsu tigers tee shirt she had to have gotten from one of her dads.

At least, she better of gotten it from one of her dads.

Her smooth clear face was completely makeup free, and her naturally long, dark lashes were spiky with the water from the shower. Her dark hair was tangled, and at that moment, she appeared to be trying to work them out with a wooden, expensive looking brush.

Noah was cautious.

"Are you ok..."

His voice trailed off slowly, he didn't want to risk Rachel blowing up on him again... and it didn't look like her carpet could risk it either.

"I'm fine Noah..."

Her voice was soft, and the remnants of her crying jag showed in the way her voice came out.

"It's just...I'm not used to- to not being good at things I guess."

Her face contorted slightly, as if she was wincing. It seemed the admission caused her actual physical pain. Noah chuckled, the quickly caught himself when he caught the scathing look she shot at him. He sighed and walked towards her.

"Aww Rach.."

He put his arm around her as her small shoulders began shaking with another round of small sobs, and led her over to the couch. He let her rest her head on his shoulder for a couple minutes, almost enjoying the feel of her damp hair soaking through his tee-shirt. Then, when her sobs subsided, and a series of quiet 'hics' filled the air, he realized she had cried herself right into a jag of hiccupping.

He rubbed small circles onto the flat of her back, and tried his hardest to keep his smile hidden. When the 'hics' came fewer and farther between, he knew she was just about done.

"Rachel..."

He grasped for words that wouldn't get him slapped, or ranted at, that last one was probably scarrier.

"What's the matter...It can't be just the cupcakes."

She looke up at him with red rimmed doe eyes that were brimming over with a theatricaly perfect expression of grief, Puck wondered if Rachel realized how adorable overdramatic she was all the time. In typical Rachel fashion, she let the question hang for a moment before she pulled together a reply. Puck was suprised she still hadn't thrown up her walls, the tantalizing vulnerability was still evident on her stunning face.

"I- I'm just not- I'm not likeable Noah!"

Her voice started to crack, and Puck was afraid she was gonna start crying again. Her words caused him to pause, and his brown furrowed with a deep frown on his handsome face.

Did Rachel Berry actually care what people thought about her?

It was almost impossible to see behind her carefully constructed front of complete self confidence, but he was sure it was hard to be confident when you were in sweats and just out of the shower. Not that he minded at all, in fact, it was more than a little fucking hot considering that he had never seen Rachel in a normal tee-shirt...without a bra.

Oh Shit!

Why did he have to choose now of all times to notice her state of undress...with her sitting here on the couch with him... sitting almost on him?

He realized she probably wanted a reply, and he hurried to say.

"That's bullshit Rachel!"

He hadn't meant for his voice to come out so loud, but it had, and she looked startled. Her face hardened slightly, and she said.

"Is it really Noah?"

"Of cou-"

Puck's voice cut off as his mind processed what she had said, she just gave him brittle, hard smile. He didn't like the way it looked on her face.

"Think about it. The kids in glee, they don't hang out with me, they don't like me, unless it's the week of a concert and they remember that I'm the best in the group they don't give a damn about me."

Her voice was definitely hard now, and Puck found himself longing for the Rachel of 2 minutes ago. He realized that that was exactly what she saw, that the kids didn't pay attention to her unless they got something out of it, but she was missing other things as well.

"Rachel...baby."

Puck's voice was gentle.

"The kids in glee...they don't know what to do with you."

She gave him a confused look.

"You're so- so- Intense."

Puck grinned, smug with his use of his word of the day. What? He had the app on his phone.

"But that doesn't mean they have to be-"

"No..."

Puck cut her off,

"You're forgetting, they're just kids. You act so much older than you really are, it's kinda intimidating for the rest of them. They're jealous, but at the same time, they're glad they're not you because you get picked on so much."

Rachel sniffed and wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of Puck's jacket. That's it. Puck was never washing this hoodie again.

Once again...When had he become such a pussy?

"I- I guess I get it. But then why are you nice to me? I already told you I'm not going to sleep with you Noah."

He smirked, but then his face went serious. He took her face gently between his hands, relishing the fact that he practically cupped her whole face with his large hands.

"Listen close Berry. I. Like. You."

He couldn't fight his grin at her confused expressin, then sobered when he realized just how little she had probably heard those words in her life.

"You're just saying that..."

Her voice betrayed her doubt, and Puck's ire rose at her insistense that no one could possible like her. Well if she wouldn't believe his words...

In a nearly impossibly slow motion, Puck leaned foward and kissed Rachel's right cheek, absorbing the still moist tear drops left on her smooth skin from moments before. He repeated the same action on her left cheek. He moved lower, slowly, always slowly, and used every rarely exercised drop of self control in his body to kiss the very corner of the left side of her mouth, where a single tear had puddled in the dip at the edge of her lips full lips.

Her mouth opened slightly in a faint gasp, and Puck went tense with his desire for her, wanting more than anything to take her mouth right there, and prove his point by force. But he fought his own personal desire and lust, reminding himself exactly what he was supposed to be showing Rachel. If he made this kiss about him, it would only prove her false point- that everyone around her only used her.

He waited a moment to regain control of his body, and them allowed his left hand to travel down, leaving his right cupped gently against the rapidly heating skin of her cheek, and trailed his left downwards to the small of her back, not allowing himself to go any further than necessary.

In an achingly gentle motion, Puck pulled her closer, sliding her onto his lap and cradling her body against his in the most pure ,chaste, manner he could possibly mannage. This was probably not the best idea, considering his now painfully aroused state, but once again he reminded himself just how important this was.

Rachel let out a little mewling noise, and he almost lost it right then, but he didn't. And after a few moment of placing feather light kisses on her entire face, her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, her chin even, he felt her body relax and melt into his.

He didn't fight the triumphant smile that tugged his full lips outward, and resisting the temptation to place one long lingering kiss on her ever so ready lips, Puck pulled back, to view her reaction.

Her eyes were half closed, in some state of comfortable delirum, and her hands were locked around his waist in an almost familial gesture. Fortunately, nothing between them was ever familial, and he could tell that she believed him now.

"Noah..."

Her voice was so soft, so low, it was almost the undoing of him.

"Rachel! Are you in there!"

They both jolted at the loud pouning at the front door, Rachel however, jumped up and ran over to answer it.

Puck stood up and walked over to see who had been such an unwelcome intruder on his and Rachel's intimate moment.

Jesse St. Fucking James.

Ohhhh, :O Did you like it? Remember, REVEIW REVIEW REVEIW! And I might take this puckleberry lovin to the next lever *suggestively wiggles eyebrows* , lol, just review people!